Microsoft, founded in 1975, became one of the first public companies valued above $3 trillion.
Microsoft crossed the $3 trillion market-capitalization threshold in January 2024. Investors valued its Windows and Office franchises alongside Azure cloud computing, enterprise software, gaming, and its expanding artificial-intelligence partnerships.
The company was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Its early success came from software licensing, especially the MS-DOS operating system and later Microsoft Windows. Microsoft went public in 1986, creating a widely traded share base.
The $3 trillion figure measures equity value rather than revenue or total corporate assets. Microsoft’s market value has also been influenced by its acquisition of major businesses, including LinkedIn in 2016 and Activision Blizzard in 2023. It is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.